The Rose's Sorrow
by IsabellaWinxSirenix
Summary: Diaspro had always believed the world – and Sky – would be hers forever. Little did she know how easily her life of lavish princess luxury could transform into one where all that existed was a man she would never love and a wilting rose of an affection she could never win. One-shot.


**Hello to all Winx fanatics! I'm IsabellaWinxSirenix, but you can just call me Bella. This is my first (and probably last) Winx Club fanfiction. I would just like to say that I am a 13-year-old girl with little writing experience who began fanfiction at the end of July. Therefore, I am eager to hear any and all tips for improvements for those on this fandom who are leaps and bounds wiser than I. I have done some surfing on the Winx Writers Anonymous page, just to gauge what is typically expected. While I fear I did not meet all the requirements, I believe at least my grammar is acceptable. Also, as I implied previously, I am by no means resistant to criticism of any kind. In fact, I quite welcome it because not only does it provide an opportunity to improve but also shows that the reviewer took the time and effort to find those flaws, which I find quite flattering. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

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"But he who dares not grasp the thorn  
Should never crave the rose."

― Anne Brontë

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A bitterly cold breeze, unseasonal for Planet Magix, pierced Diaspro's pallid cheeks, bearing the sensation of a thousand shards of ice stinging her flesh. The gust sent brilliantly orange leaves fluttering like butterflies first taking flight, a few lodging themselves in her hair. Normally, the snotty ex-princess of Eraklyon would be utterly repulsed by the unsightly filth ruining her glossy blonde locks of perfection, but today, nothing mattered, her eyes magnetized to the couple canoodling on one of Alfea's benches.

Prince Sky, and that traitorous commoner, Bloom. A few months ago, Disapro would be hurling beams of crimson light at the insufferable fairy, but over time, her former rage had slowly drained, leaving nothing but a bitter emptiness. Bloom could keep him for all she cared. Finally, after two years of deluding herself into believing Bloom was the cause of her pain so as not to taint the perfect yet glaringly inaccurate version of Sky she had crafted, Disapro could brush aside the whimsical fantasy to see the truth with spectacular clarity. The real source of her bitterness ultimately emanated from the one whom was named keeper of her heart since birth, Prince Sky.

Disapro didn't know how she felt about him anymore. Over the course of time, her feelings, once so simple-minded and clear, had dissolved into a mixture of contrasting emotions, an endless abyss of senselessness where hate became love in the thrum of a heartbeat. However, if one thing in Disparo's life was clear, it was that she didn't hate Sky. How could she hold such prejudice against him when all he strived for was happiness?

On the other hand, Disapro finally realized she never truly loved him. Their relationship had been more of an obsession, a constant, almost painful yearning for something she wanted but could never have. After years of having her every wish granted with a snap of her fingers, finally discovering an item just out of her reach was intoxicating. Sky's love had been a tantalizing gemstone, becoming more tempting by the day until she was hopelessly addicted to chasing the unreachable fairytale. It was like trying to touch the stars, and yet the belief in her own invincibility and triumph was strengthened with each rejection, the determination mounting with her every waking moment. Throughout her entire life, she had never once doubted Sky belonged to her, a star-crossed love of pre-destiny, so it would only be a matter of time until her efforts were rewarded.

It had all been a game up until the point where even she had tricked herself into believing it was love. By this point, however, Disapro had forgotten why she wanted him, if there had even been a reason in the first place, so trapped in her endless cycle that to not love him was foreboding and foreign. Even now, knowing his heart belonged to another, Diaspro could not resist drinking in his features hungrily, attempting to fill the emptiness in her heart with a love that could never be hers. Throughout her entire life, loving Sky had been a safehaven, an unchangeable constant upon which the rest of her world could revolve without fear of slipping through her fingers like sand. She would be hopelessly lost without him, the desire that had given her life meaning for so long shattered. In a way, the arranged marriage also ensured that she would never have to face the daunting terror of being rejected. Rejection equaled abandonment in the princess' mind, and for a girl so dependent upon the constant stream of praise and admiration from her subjects, to be utterly alone would break her.

And a princess could never break.

Before her untimely passing, Diaspro's mother, Alexandria, had always instructed her daughter that to submit to another for any reason was an unforgivable weakness. To become vulnerable was to be crushed by the powers of the universe and smote down from her royal dominance. The world was a cruel, harsh, unforgiving realm, a demon striking in a thousand forms with a thousand inflictions of pain. In order to conquer, Disapro learned to be just as unpredictable and violate so as to assert her dominance, her power. Power lead to admiration, and admiration in turn lead to love. But of course, Alexandria had also taught Diaspro to never lose control of her emotions, especially in affairs of the heart; rather, they were to be wielded as an agonizingly sharp sword to manipulate and raze creatures of lesser importance. In the end, love was meaningless, an insignificant ideal crafted to lure fools and dreamers. The true test of love was to experience it in a blaze of glorious rapture and yet rise above its power, the sun around which the universe revolved, knowing the entire Magical Dimension would submit to her. This was the key to happiness.

Of course, Disapro thought, she had failed. She had let emotion deteriorate her reason until she had fallen from her former state of glory. The world her mother forged from the harsh fires of discipline and the world Diaspro had lost herself in a fanciful illusion of lost innocence and starstruck love had finally collided, leaving the princess bleeding, lost, and broken in the dust of rubble. Still, it didn't matter, not now. Her throne of her birthright had been taken away from her, transforming the once lavish princess into a fugitive pauper, leaving her with nothing but broken dreams and false promises that the world was a beautiful place free of sorrow.

Disapro twirled the blood-red rose in her fingertips, the flower's petals immaculately perfect to the point of being unnatural. It had been given to her by Sky, the first time they had ever courted. Despite its awe-inspiring beauty, the petals seemed wilted, as if they lamented the fragments of memories they now represented, wishing to erase the past. Her shinning blood glistened menacingly as she pricked her finger on a thorn as black as ink. In a way, her entire life was a rose, seemingly wondrous and harmless until the fatal thorns of lust and vengeance shattered the illusion of peace.

Focusing her attention on Bloom and Sky, she saw the jubilant red-haired girl laughing jovially, leaning closer to her boyfriend. Diaspro would have sold all her priceless Eraklyon heirlooms in a heartbeat for just one moment like that with someone she loved. Trembling under the impenetrable cover of the neatly trimmed hedges of Alfea, her entire body quivered with a righteous anger, directed at none other than herself. Disapro had thrown away her only chance for a fairytale ending like Sky's, just for an act of vengeance. Now, she was left with nothing except for a man whom she would never love. Disapro wanted to do anything: scream, cry, show some sort of emotion she had suppressed from the moment her eyes first flickered open to see the sun. For the first time in her life, Diaspro wanted to truly _feel. _

Then, she realized the sickening truth.

She didn't know how.

Numb with the sensation of the world slipping into a world of the emotionless of her reality, she allowed her silent companion to help her to her feet. Somehow, Diaspro became entwined in his comforting embrace, inhaling the now familiar scent of parchment combined seamlessly with the freshness of the forest after the rain. She could sense his golden eyes searching her concernedly, lingering on her bloody index finger. Diaspro knew perfectly well she didn't deserve his attention, or even her life, but that didn't change anything. A part of her felt guilty for lying and toying with his affections, but in the midst of her anguish, she didn't care. Besides, the man was indestructible, with no conscience and no heart. And yet, he had offered her salvation during her darkest hour, the precious few minutes of her life before she was marched the gallows. He was a demon with an angel's face.

Or was that her?

Taking Diaspro possessively by the hand, Baltor allowed his lovely wife one last glance at the life she lost before turning on the spot into a portal of darkness, void of life and love and laughter. The rose, now permanently stained with her blood, slipped through her fingers as she followed, her heart burning with regret.

As Diaspro plunged into her living Hell, all that remained was a wilted crimson rose, glistening with a single shimmering tear.

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**Yes, that was quite melodramatic, I know. That's just my writing style. I thought pairing Diaspro with Baltor would be interesting, since very few, if at all, have done it. My rationing for this couple blossomed from Season 3, Episode 8 (4kids version):**

**"You know, with her wickedness, her ruthlessness, and her witchy good-looks, she'd make a perfect addition to your little coven." - Baltor**

**Emphasis on the witchy good-looks. I figured that since Diaspro was banned from Eraklyon, there would be no one to turn to but Baltor/Valtor. And yes, I'm a 4kids girl with odd pairings. You don't have to support the couple or the 4kids version, but I do. It's called life, folks. Some people agree with you, and some don't. Deal with it.**

**I don't expect a raving review from anyone, but I hope you liked it!**

**To my regular readers: Ashes of a New Horizon is making its long-awaited comeback tomorrow! Finally!**

**Have a very Winx-y day! :D**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


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